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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.

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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 · trunk · plane · lean · fan · pass · field · mouse

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. field — farmland
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bat — the animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pass — a permit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. lean — to rest against

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