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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · hand · leaves · plane · saw · dip · mouse · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. dip — to sink
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chair — a leader
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. hand — in cards

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