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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.

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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: swing · plane · scale · drill · shower · bulb · key · last

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. shower — rain
  7. swing — to play on
  8. drill — army training
  9. scale — in music
  10. last — final
  11. drill — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — the most important part
  18. shower — to wash
  19. key — for a lock
  20. last — to go on
  21. key — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. last — finally

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