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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 120 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: club · plane · court · snap · cabinet · lean · trunk · rush

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. court — of a king
  13. club — for dancing
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. club — for golf
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. club — a group
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lean — thin
  23. snap — to click
  24. court — of law

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