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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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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 · kid · jam · hand · ruler · scale · wind · leaves

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cell — in biology
  4. hand — help
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. kid — child
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hand — in cards
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — a phone
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. scale — in music
  24. wind — moving air

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