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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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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: bear · object · hand · march · rash · can · leaves · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. can — a tin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. march — music
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. object — to protest
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. hand — help
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. object — a thing
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rash — a series
  24. scale — size or range

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