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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.

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: ground · key · scale · leaves · tear · lean · wound · plane

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. tear — from crying
  3. key — the most important part
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lean — thin
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wound — an injury
  11. key — for a lock
  12. ground — a position
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. key — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. tear — to rip
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lean — to bend
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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