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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: press · chair · foot · bear · lean · trunk · plane · file

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lean — thin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. lean — to bend
  20. file — a tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  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