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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: mate · pop · scale · foot · bore · lean · plane · wound

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — a tool
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pop — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — soda
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mate — a friend
  16. scale — in music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lean — thin
  24. wound — an injury

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