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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · scale · spring · plane · date · arm · mark · pound

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. scale — size or range
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pound — a weight
  17. date — the fruit
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. clip — a video
  20. spring — of water
  21. scale — in music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — to cut
  24. plane — a tool

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