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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 · chair · scale · pop · staff · firm · date · lean

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pop — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. firm — a company
  14. pop — to visit
  15. firm — decided
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — steady
  20. lean — thin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. scale — in music
  23. staff — employees
  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