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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 116 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
468
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: can · scale · cell · perch · staff · mine · straw · lie

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. scale — size or range
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mine — for digging
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — a phone
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. scale — in music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — to recline
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. can — to be able to

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