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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.

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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: shower · rest · lie · lean · cell · scale · plane · mouse

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rest — a break
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — in music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. shower — rain
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lean — thin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cell — in biology
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cell — a phone

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