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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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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: plane · bass · charge · chest · chair · mark · bark · toast

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chest — a box
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. charge — a price
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bass — low music
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bark — of a tree
  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