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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · press · capital · plane · scale · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. plane — a tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. press — newspapers
  5. capital — a city
  6. scale — in music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tear — from crying
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. press — to push
  12. capital — money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. tear — to rip
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. scale — for weighing
  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