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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: toast · scale · wave · cap · lean · row · foot · tube

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. row — a line
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. scale — in music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. row — to paddle
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cap — a hat
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lean — thin
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. toast — bread
  24. tube — the underground

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