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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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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: chair · deal · lean · rest · fall · board · kid · plane

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — a committee
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fall — the season
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lean — thin
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fall — to drop
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lean — to bend
  17. board — to get on
  18. plane — a tool
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rest — a break

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