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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 · cabinet · march · lie · plane · row · foot

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. march — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. row — a line
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. scale — size or range
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lie — to recline
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. row — to paddle
  22. plane — a tool
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — in music

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