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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: land · leaves · bat · plane · rest · chair · pit · firm

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. land — to come down
  4. firm — steady
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. land — ground
  10. pit — in a race
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — a company
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — a hole
  19. land — a country
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rest — a break
  23. firm — decided
  24. plane — in geometry

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