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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
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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: plane · safe · shower · cue · season · spring · branch · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cue — a signal
  4. season — of the year
  5. spring — the season
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. shower — rain
  8. cue — a hint
  9. season — in sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — to wash
  14. scale — in music
  15. branch — a division
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cue — for pool

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