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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · bay · mark · staff · court · racket · shower · lean

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — a tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mark — a grade
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. court — of a king
  24. shower — rain

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