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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: hand · prune · roll · fall · lean · stand · plane · chair

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hand — in cards
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lean — thin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fall — to drop
  12. roll — a cake
  13. fall — the season
  14. roll — a list
  15. fall — to drop
  16. plane — a tool
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chair — a leader
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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