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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
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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: hand · lie · lean · plane · chair · trunk · club · court

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. court — of law
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lean — to bend
  6. court — of a king
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — a group
  17. court — for sport
  18. club — for golf
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. chair — a leader
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lean — thin

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