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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: march · rush · plane · cue · leaves · bowl · lean · court

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. court — of law
  5. lean — thin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lean — to bend
  9. court — of a king
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. march — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. cue — for pool
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. court — for sport
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — a signal

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