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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.

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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 · cell · snap · tube · kick · plane · ruler · suit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. kick — in football
  5. suit — clothes
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. suit — to fit
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. cell — in biology
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. plane — a tool
  21. snap — to click
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chair — a professorship

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