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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: fine · wound · capital · scale · leaves · foot · plane · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. capital — money
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. scale — in music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. capital — a city
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — all right
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fine — high quality

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