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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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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 · lean · deal · cue · mark · rest · object · bat

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. object — to protest
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. object — a thing
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — a signal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rest — a break
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cue — a hint
  23. object — an aim
  24. plane — in geometry

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