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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: plane · fall · root · deal · chair · tube · bound · craft

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bound — certain
  5. tube — a container
  6. fall — the season
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. craft — boats
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — obliged
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. tube — the underground
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. root — the cause
  22. chair — a leader
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bound — tied together

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