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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spell — letters
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. cap — of ice
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. swing — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bore — to drill
  24. lean — to bend

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