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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: kid · scale · coach · dip · rule · lean

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. scale — in music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rule — government
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rule — a law
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. dip — to sink
  12. lean — thin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — size or range
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — child
  18. coach — a trainer

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