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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.

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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 · calf · lash · plane · wake · wind · key · fall

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. scale — in music
  15. fall — the season
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. scale — size or range
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. calf — a young animal

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