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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 116 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: plane · lean · patient · racket · content · lie · ball · bat

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. content — happy
  4. bat — the animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lean — to bend
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. content — the amount
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lean — thin
  24. ball — a dance

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