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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. net — for catching
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. net — after costs
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — for golf
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. net — in sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stand — to bear
  19. club — a group
  20. chair — a leader
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. staff — a stick
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. club — for dancing

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