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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: sharp · board · capital · lean · scale · wake · plane · prune

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. capital — a city
  4. board — a committee
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. board — to get on
  10. scale — in music
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. capital — money
  20. scale — size or range
  21. sharp — clever
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — with an edge

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