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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: wave · pit · plane · mouse · scale · fall · spell · bound

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bound — certain
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. scale — in music
  8. spell — letters
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fall — the season
  23. spell — magic
  24. scale — for weighing

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