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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.

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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: band · plane · kid · fall · leaves · cell · lie · key

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fall — the season
  11. kid — to tease
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. kid — child
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a music group
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — to drop
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cell — a phone
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cell — in biology
  24. band — a ring

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