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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 120 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 · hand · plane · trunk · face · bank · row · leaves

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. row — a line
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. face — to confront
  7. bank — for money
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bank — for money
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. plane — a tool
  14. hand — help
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. scale — size or range
  24. row — to paddle

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