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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · bulb · arm · board · scale · lie · charge · lean

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. charge — a price
  3. scale — size or range
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cell — in biology
  8. board — a committee
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. charge — in control
  11. lean — thin
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. board — to get on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. charge — electricity

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