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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
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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: plane · lash · capital · saw · scale · chair · dip · fan

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. capital — a city
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — size or range
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. chair — a leader
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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