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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.

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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
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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: mouse · degree · shower · lie · plane · stand · ball · scale

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. degree — an amount
  11. ball — a great time
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lie — to recline
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — rain
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — temperature
  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