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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. march — music
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — a tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. firm — decided
  13. chair — a leader
  14. firm — steady
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. march — the month
  24. bound — obliged

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