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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: rule · object · saw · stick · roll · scale · chest · fan

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chest — of your body
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. scale — size or range
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. chest — a box
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — government
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. roll — a list
  21. object — to protest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. roll — on a roll

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