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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 116 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: pitcher · lie · chair · board · pass · cabinet · plane · bulb

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. board — to get on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a committee
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bulb — for light

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