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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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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: rock · lash · plane · ruler · scale · bass · spell · shower

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bass — the fish
  9. rock — music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — letters
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bass — low music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. shower — rain
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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