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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: kick · shower · foot · firm · wind · drill · scale · plane

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. firm — steady
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. shower — to wash
  9. drill — army training
  10. firm — a company
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kick — in football
  14. scale — size or range
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. firm — decided
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. shower — rain

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