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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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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: cell · plane · face · scale · snap · suit · pound · fall

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. snap — to click
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. face — part of the head
  8. cell — a phone
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — in music
  11. face — to confront
  12. fall — to drop
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pound — a weight
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. fall — the season
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. suit — clothes

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