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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: plane · trunk · shower · racket · stick · content · fine · race

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. plane — a tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. race — a contest
  10. shower — rain
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fine — all right
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fine — high quality
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — for tennis

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