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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: scale · plane · mine · last · fan · cell · mark · lash

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. last — final
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — a grade
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. scale — in music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cell — a phone
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. last — to go on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. last — finally
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fan — to cool the air

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