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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: cue · mug · band · lean · craft · deal · chest · scale

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — a hint
  3. band — a ring
  4. scale — size or range
  5. deal — to handle
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lean — thin
  10. mug — to rob
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. scale — in music
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chest — of your body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cue — for pool
  20. craft — boats
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mug — a face
  24. band — a music group

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