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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 116 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: fork · spell · chair · bulb · object · straw · pound · plane

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. spell — magic
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — an aim
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — for light
  9. object — to protest
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — letters
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — a thing
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. spell — a short time
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. plane — an aircraft

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