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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: lean · tube · scale · rule · rock · staff · bass · calf

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — a container
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lean — to bend
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — low music
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rock — music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. tube — the underground
  20. scale — in music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. scale — size or range

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