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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: scale · dip · lean · board · rash · cap · toast · spell

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lean — thin
  4. board — a committee
  5. scale — in music
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. toast — bread
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — to bend
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rash — a series
  21. cap — of ice
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. spell — a short time
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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