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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 120 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: scale · ball · plane · wind · rush · land · bark · mouse

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. land — a country
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. land — ground
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. wind — moving air

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