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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 120 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 · hand · cabinet · foot · bear · plane · march · squash

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. squash — the sport
  9. march — music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. march — the month
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chair — a leader
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hand — in cards
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hand — help
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — a measure

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