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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: perch · pitcher · cabinet · cue · plane · face · scale · straw

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. face — to point toward
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. scale — in music
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cue — a signal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  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