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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 · cell · lash · bass · cap · scale · hide · toast

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — size or range
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bass — low music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. toast — bread
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cell — in biology
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bass — the fish

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