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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · plane · stem · drill · leaves · chair · perch · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — a subject
  5. drill — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stem — to come from
  13. plane — a tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. field — farmland
  17. drill — a practice
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. perch — the fish
  21. field — for sport
  22. toast — bread
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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