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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: saw · plane · arm · mine · scale · lash · coach · march

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. scale — in music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. march — the month
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — the month
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. scale — size or range
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. arm — a part of something

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