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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 · spell · rule · bear · chest · net · ruler

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. net — in sport
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spell — letters
  9. net — for catching
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — magic
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. rule — a law
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rule — government

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