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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: spell · squash · fall · plane · lie · pop · patient · object

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — soda
  3. fall — the season
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spell — letters
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — a short time
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — a tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — an aim
  17. lie — to recline
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — to drop
  21. squash — the sport
  22. object — a thing
  23. pop — music
  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