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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: plane · press · lean · rush · season · racket · club · leaves

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. club — for dancing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. plane — a tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. press — a publisher
  12. club — for golf
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. season — of the year
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. club — a group

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