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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 116 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: bowl · row · calf · lean · racket · lash · bat · plane

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. row — a line
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bat — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. row — to paddle
  20. plane — a tool
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. plane — in geometry

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