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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: bear · kick · fan · rash · spell · scale · pitcher · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. rash — a series
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. scale — size or range
  24. spell — letters

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