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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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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. land — to come down
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hand — help
  8. land — a country
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. plane — a tool
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. land — ground
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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