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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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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: squash · face · scale · cold · plane · cabinet · deal · bank

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — a tool
  5. scale — in music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bank — for money
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cold — not warm
  11. face — to point toward
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. scale — size or range
  14. cold — an illness
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. face — to confront
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. face — part of the head
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bank — of a river

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