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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: bear · bank · scale · cell · toast · plane · fine · trunk

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fine — all right
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cell — a phone
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cell — in biology
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fine — high quality
  20. toast — bread
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. scale — in music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bank — for money

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