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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: plane · toast · ground · lie · tube · scale · cue · bulb

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ground — crushed
  8. toast — bread
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. scale — in music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. tube — in a tire

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