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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: land · plane · bulb · bear · trunk · saw · chair · scale

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — the tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. land — ground
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. plane — a tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. scale — for weighing

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