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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 120 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 · bat · prune · staff · lie · board · chair · racket

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a committee
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. prune — to trim
  11. staff — employees
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chair — a leader
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bat — the animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bat — in an idiom

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