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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
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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: fan · plane · chest · bowl · spell · march · scale · dip

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to sink
  4. march — the month
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spell — a short time
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — magic
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chest — a box
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. spell — letters
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fan — a supporter

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