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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 124 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 · lean · bulb · squash · toast · scale · plane · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rock — music
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — to bend
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. scale — in music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — a stone
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. toast — bread
  24. plane — in geometry

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