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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: pop · wake · scale · bat · mate · plane · lean · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pop — soda
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. plane — a tool
  13. scale — in music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — thin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pop — music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — size or range

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