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

Word bank: cell · plane · hand · chair · bay · ruler

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — help
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. ruler — for measuring

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