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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: wound · scale · can · mark · dip · lean · saw · tube

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lean — to bend
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — an injury
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — in music
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wound — an injury
  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