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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.

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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 · snap · tube · perch · firm · land · scale · ruler

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. firm — steady
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. land — ground
  11. plane — a tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. perch — the fish
  14. land — to come down
  15. tube — a container
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — decided
  18. tube — the underground
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. snap — to click
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in music

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