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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: cabinet · lean · race · cell · scale · snap

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. race — humankind
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lean — thin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. snap — to click
  16. cell — a phone
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — in music

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