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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: racket · date · lean · stand · net · object · trunk · plane

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. net — in sport
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. object — to protest
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — after costs
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. plane — a tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stand — to bear

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