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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: lean · scale · date · key · plane · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lean — thin
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. key — in music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — a tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chest — a box
  16. date — the fruit
  17. key — for a lock
  18. plane — in geometry

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