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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · wake · cabinet · last · plane · lie · shower · lean

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — to go on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. shower — to wash
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — final
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. last — finally
  18. wake — a trail
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. shower — rain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com