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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 116 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: lie · trunk · row · scale · bat · mate · plane · spell

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mate — a friend
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. plane — a tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bat — the animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — magic
  20. lie — to recline
  21. scale — in music
  22. spell — letters
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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