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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · shower · scale · mug · snap · chip · rest · plane

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. shower — to wash
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — thin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lean — to bend
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mug — a face
  18. shower — rain
  19. rest — what's left
  20. scale — in music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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