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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: lean · straw · scale · race · arm · stick · mouse · ball

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. scale — in music
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ball — a dance
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. race — a contest
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. scale — for weighing

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