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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
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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: shower · toast · sharp · season · arm · scale · plane · bear

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. scale — in music
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. shower — rain
  9. season — in sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. sharp — clever
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. season — of the year
  16. bear — the animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bear — the animal

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