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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · coach · hand · object · cell · file · bound · tube

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. object — an aim
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — obliged
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bound — certain
  7. file — a line of people
  8. scale — in music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tube — the underground
  11. object — a thing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. file — a tool
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bound — tied together
  20. object — to protest
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. file — a document

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