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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: perch · pass · scale · lean · fall · chest · staff · fine

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fine — high quality
  5. staff — employees
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chest — a box
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fall — the season
  11. fine — all right
  12. pass — a permit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lean — to bend
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lean — thin
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chest — of your body

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