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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: scale · rule · tear · rush · lash · stand · bank · cabinet

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rule — a law
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rule — government
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bank — of a river
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rush — hurry

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