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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: arm · jam · nail · scale · leaves · chest · mug · spell

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. scale — size or range
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mug — to rob
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. spell — magic
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spell — a short time
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a face
  22. scale — in music
  23. spell — letters
  24. mug — a cup

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