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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bulb · court · key · band · nail · plane · chair · lie

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. key — in music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a music group
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — a tool
  12. court — of law
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — for sport
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of a king
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lie — to recline
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chair — a leader

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