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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: cold · plane · chair · suit · bowl · can · rest · toast

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cold — not warm
  7. suit — to fit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. plane — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. toast — bread
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cold — an illness
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. suit — in cards
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rest — a break
  24. chair — a professorship

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