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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: pound · stem · lean · tear · ball · scale · lie · cue

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lean — thin
  24. pound — to hit hard

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