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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: kick · plane · key · scale · lean · capital · fine · spell

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fine — all right
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. capital — money
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. capital — a city
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fine — high quality
  18. scale — in music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — letters
  22. lean — thin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lean — to bend

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