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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.

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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: bat · mark · racket · track · plane · rush · kick · lean

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bat — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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