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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: rest · lean · rock · mark · drill · clip · board · scale

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. clip — a video
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. board — a committee
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lean — to bend
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mark — a trace
  18. scale — size or range
  19. drill — army training
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — music
  22. board — to get on
  23. mark — a grade
  24. scale — in music

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