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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 120 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: rest · content · staff · cabinet · lean · lie · scale · stock

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — in music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. stock — shares
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — goods
  12. rest — what's left
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — to bend
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. staff — employees
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. content — happy
  24. scale — size or range

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