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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: leaves · scale · chair · mine · hand · rush · mouse · staff

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. hand — help
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. mine — for digging
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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