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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.

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: scale · rule · plane · nail · branch · row · foot · fall

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — a law
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fall — the season
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rule — government
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — to rule out
  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