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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: plane · squash · mouse · ground · lean · chair · fall · pitcher

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. squash — the sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fall — the season
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chair — a leader
  17. lean — to bend
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mouse — the animal

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