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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: chair · club · leaves · plane · stem · present · mug · wind

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mug — a face
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. club — a group
  9. present — a gift
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. present — the time now
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. club — for golf
  20. stem — to come from
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. present — there
  24. mug — a cup

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