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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
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: scale · lash · plane · track · hide · net · mouse · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. plane — a tool
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cell — a phone
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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