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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 124 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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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: stand · plane · cabinet · lie · roll · craft · ground · key

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — a position
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. key — the most important part
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — to recline
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ground — the earth

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