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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
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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: ruler · scale · hand · foot · bowl · file · spell · lean

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. file — a document
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. scale — in music
  11. file — a tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lean — thin
  14. hand — help
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. lean — to bend
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spell — letters
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. foot — a measure

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