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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: swing · fall · present · scale · plane · cell

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fall — the season
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. present — a gift
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — the time now
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — in music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. swing — music
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cell — a phone
  18. present — there

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