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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 116 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
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: mine · cell · object · plane · scale · kick · lean · track

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. scale — in music
  3. object — an aim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. track — a song
  7. object — to protest
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lean — thin
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. object — a thing
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. track — a path
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — in football
  23. mine — for digging
  24. scale — size or range

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