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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 116 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
468
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: bear · wound · bulb · staff · chair · wake · present · plane

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. present — a gift
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — the animal
  11. present — there
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. present — the time now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bear — the animal

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