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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · scale · fan · charge · plane · wind · spell · saw

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. charge — a price
  10. spell — letters
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. scale — in music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — in control
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — magic
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wind — moving air
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. charge — electricity

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