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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 · charge · band · craft · fall · prune · cabinet · lean

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. band — a ring
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. lean — to bend
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — size or range
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. charge — a price
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. band — a music group
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lean — thin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — in music
  17. charge — in control
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — the season
  20. craft — boats
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. fall — to drop
  24. craft — a skill

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