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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: rock · cabinet · plane · face · coach · scale · land · firm

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. firm — decided
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. face — part of the head
  6. scale — in music
  7. land — ground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. firm — a company
  12. face — to confront
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. firm — steady
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — 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