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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.

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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.

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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: object · firm · content · fork · plane · scale · kid · lash

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. plane — a tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. object — an aim
  8. firm — steady
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. kid — child
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. scale — in music
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — to protest
  24. kid — to tease

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