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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: bear · fine · firm · chair · plane · arm · nail · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fine — all right
  3. cap — a lid
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — a company
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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