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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 116 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: cabinet · scale · rash · mouse · fan · saw · fine · plane

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. scale — size or range
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. scale — in music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rash — a series
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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