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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: mark · hand · chair · present · bore · plane · swing · season

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. hand — in cards
  2. present — the time now
  3. swing — in golf
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mark — a trace
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. present — a gift
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. swing — music
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. season — of the year
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. present — there
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hand — help
  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