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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.

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: lean · leaves · prune · march · mark · scale · fall · deal

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. scale — in music
  8. march — the month
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — the season
  13. mark — a trace
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. prune — to trim

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