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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.

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: wake · press · rule · lash · plane · scale · fine · cap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. press — to push
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. cap — of ice
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fine — high quality
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rule — a law
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. scale — in music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rule — government
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lash — an eyelash

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