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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 · wake · chair · bear · key · net · staff · drill

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. plane — a tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bear — the animal
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. net — for catching
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chair — a leader
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. drill — the tool
  24. net — after costs

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