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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.

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: wound · hide · capital · drill · plane · scale · content · swing

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. scale — size or range
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. plane — a tool
  7. scale — in music
  8. swing — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wound — an injury
  13. content — the amount
  14. capital — a city
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — happy
  20. capital — money
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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