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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · scale · object · lean · cell · wound · board · can

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. scale — in music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wound — an injury
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lean — thin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wound — an injury
  11. board — a committee
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cell — in biology
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — an aim
  24. cell — in a prison

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