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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: bowl · spring · scale · file · plane · leaves · club · wax

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spring — the season
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. file — a document
  9. club — for golf
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spring — of water
  14. club — for dancing
  15. file — a tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. scale — in music
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. leaves — lets stay

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