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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.

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: lean · clip · racket · wake · chair · club · scale · plane

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chair — a leader
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lean — thin
  13. wake — a trail
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. club — for dancing
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. clip — to cut
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. clip — for paper
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. scale — in music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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