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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 · stand · coach · hide · chest · prune · wave · fall

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fall — the season
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fall — to drop
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. scale — in music

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