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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.

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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: bat · wave · sharp · lean · cap · can · plane · bowl

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. lean — thin
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cap — a hat
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — clever
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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