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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: shower · stand · bowl · plane · racket · leaves · rule · can

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. plane — a tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — a law
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. can — a tin
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. can — to be able to
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rule — government
  22. shower — rain
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. shower — to wash

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