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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: row · lash · cabinet · scale · ruler · roll · clip · branch

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. scale — size or range
  11. branch — a division
  12. roll — a list
  13. clip — to cut
  14. roll — a cake
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. clip — a video
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. clip — for paper

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