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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lean · scale · bore · cue · spell · staff · field · rush

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rush — hurry
  3. field — for sport
  4. scale — in music
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bore — to drill
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lean — thin
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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