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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: file · scale · rash · wave · lean · stand · board · bound

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. scale — in music
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rash — a series
  10. board — a committee
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bound — tied together
  14. board — to get on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bound — certain
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. file — a document
  22. bound — obliged
  23. lean — to bend
  24. scale — for weighing

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