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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · drill · plane · chest · trunk · season · chair · wake

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. chair — a leader
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. season — of the year
  9. drill — army training
  10. season — in sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chest — a box
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chest — of your body
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. drill — a practice

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