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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: rest · hide · ground · lean · chair · land · pop · plane

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — a position
  3. land — to come down
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. land — a country
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lean — to bend
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. lean — thin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. land — ground
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rest — a break
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ground — crushed

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