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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 · wound · arm · foot · chair · lie · board · cabinet

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lie — to recline
  13. board — to get on
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. plane — a tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. chair — a leader

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