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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
468
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: plane · chair · spring · press · suit · can · season · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — in cards
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. season — in sport
  11. press — newspapers
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chair — a leader
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. season — of the year
  17. can — a tin
  18. suit — to fit
  19. spring — a coil
  20. press — to push
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — a publisher

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