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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 116 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: bowl · mate · cabinet · hand · spring · plane · scale · present

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. hand — in cards
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spring — of water
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. present — the time now
  11. spring — a coil
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hand — help
  14. present — there
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — in music
  24. present — a gift

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