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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. court — for sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. last — finally
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. last — final
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. last — to go on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. stem — to come from
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — of law
  21. plane — a tool
  22. kick — in football
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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