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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: chair · firm · lean · plane · hide · field · racket · pass

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pass — a permit
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. firm — a company
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lean — to bend
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — steady
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. field — a subject
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — thin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — for tennis

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