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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.

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 · stick · date · mouse · lean · mug · cabinet · court

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lean — thin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a face
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. court — of a king
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mug — a cup
  13. date — the fruit
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. court — for sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. court — of law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. date — on the calendar

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