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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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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: content · racket · lean · plane · mark · staff · bulb · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mark — a trace
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — to bend
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — thin
  14. staff — employees
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. staff — employees
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a grade

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