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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: chair · cap · mouse · deal · plane · drill · lie · row

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. drill — army training
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — to handle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cap — of ice
  23. row — a line
  24. lie — an untruth

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