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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.

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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: scale · spell · plane · wave · court · fall · prune · charge

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. court — of a king
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fall — the season
  10. spell — magic
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. charge — in control
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. scale — in music
  23. charge — electricity
  24. plane — in geometry

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