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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: suit · chair · safe · plane · mine · straw · press · ground

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. suit — to fit
  4. press — a publisher
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ground — the earth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. chair — a leader
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ground — a position
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. suit — clothes
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. safe — out of danger

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