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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.

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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: lash · mine · scale · vault · chest · stand · fan · plane

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mine — for digging
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. vault — a safe
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  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