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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 · wave · squash · net · plane · file · root · fine

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. squash — to crush
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. net — after costs
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. root — the cause
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. file — a line of people

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