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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: perch · rest · plane · fork · lie · cabinet · pitcher · chair

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — a break
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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