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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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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: season · scale · deal · straw · wave · can · drill · lean

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. drill — army training
  3. season — of the year
  4. lean — to bend
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. scale — size or range
  8. deal — to handle
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — to be able to
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — thin
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. drill — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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