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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: mug · suit · foot · squash · plane · ruler · wind · chair

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wind — moving air
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mug — a face
  7. wind — moving air
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mug — to rob
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mug — a cup
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — the sport
  23. foot — a measure
  24. plane — a tool

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