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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: scale · plane · bass · fall · hide · rock · roll · suit

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. suit — clothes
  10. plane — a tool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. roll — a list
  13. rock — music
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. roll — a cake
  19. scale — in music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rock — a stone

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