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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.

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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 · cap · snap · staff · band · rest · lean · plane

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to click
  4. scale — in music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rest — a break
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. staff — employees
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cap — a lid
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lean — to bend

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