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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: lash · scale · plane · mark · chest · press · bass · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. scale — in music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bass — low music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — a trace
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. scale — size or range
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — to push
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chest — a box
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  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