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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 120 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
468
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: wound · dip · board · plane · scale · ground · arm · perch

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ground — a position
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. scale — size or range
  9. ground — crushed
  10. scale — in music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. perch — the fish
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. board — to get on
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ground — the earth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. plane — a tool

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