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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: pound · bat · racket · lean · wind · chair · plane · can

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. plane — a tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pound — a weight
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — an aircraft

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