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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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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: lean · stick · pound · rash · tear · key · plane · last

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lean — thin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rash — a series
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. last — finally
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. last — final
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. last — to go on
  20. tear — to rip
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. plane — in geometry

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