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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.

Make a worksheet

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: prune · wave · cell · can · plane · bat · lean · scale

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cell — in biology
  14. can — a tin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cell — a phone
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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