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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 · can · mark · stand · plane · net · cabinet · straw

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a trace
  4. net — after costs
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — a tool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chair — a leader
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. plane — in geometry

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