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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 · cue · plane · snap · hide · stand · ground · foot

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. snap — to click
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. scale — in music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. foot — a measure
  24. stand — for spectators

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