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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: bay · lie · plane · cap · charge · can · spring · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — of ice
  3. spring — of water
  4. charge — electricity
  5. spring — a coil
  6. scale — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lie — to recline
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. charge — in control
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spring — the season
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cap — a lid
  24. charge — a price

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