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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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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: chair · plane · cabinet · lean · pit · lie · firm · prune

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. prune — to trim
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lean — thin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — decided
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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