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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 120 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: can · bass · scale · wound · stick · lean · prune · saw

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bass — low music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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