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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: stand · nail · wound · lash · lean · can · fall · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — the season
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. scale — in music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lean — thin
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. can — a tin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lean — to rest against

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