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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.

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: plane · mug · row · squash · bank · scale · deal · fall

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mug — a face
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fall — the season
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — a line
  9. scale — in music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bank — for money
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — to paddle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mug — to rob

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