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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.

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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 · present · face · key · chair · straw · firm · mark

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. firm — a company
  3. key — in music
  4. present — the time now
  5. face — to confront
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. present — there
  8. chair — a leader
  9. firm — steady
  10. face — to point toward
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — a gift
  13. firm — decided
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mark — a trace
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mark — a grade
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. key — for a lock
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. straw — a straw man

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