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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 · fan · scale · coach · leaves · stand · arm · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. scale — in music
  14. stand — to bear
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lean — thin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — size or range
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. key — in music
  24. stand — on your feet

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