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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.

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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 · nail · stem · vault · plane · swing · cabinet · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. swing — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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