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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: bowl · suit · wake · trunk · lean · mug · bat · plane

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mug — a cup
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bat — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lean — thin
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mug — a face
  18. suit — in cards
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bat — for baseball
  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