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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · plane · date · foot · march · clip · calf · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. date — the fruit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. march — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. clip — a video
  14. march — the month
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — for paper
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chair — a leader
  22. can — a tin
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. march — the month

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