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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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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: hand · nail · scale · rock · object · lean · temple · saw

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. scale — in music
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — to protest
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — help
  23. rock — a stone
  24. scale — for weighing

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