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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: root · scale · plane · tear · arm · lash · fan · cell

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. root — of a plant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. root — of a word
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. scale — in music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. root — the cause
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fan — to cool the air

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