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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
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: lie · scale · row · mug · pit · band · plane · spring

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spring — a coil
  6. scale — in music
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. band — a music group
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. band — a ring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lie — to recline
  14. row — a line
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mug — a cup
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. scale — size or range
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mug — a face
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — for weighing

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