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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: snap · roll · scale · trunk · leaves · mouse · bowl · stick

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. roll — a list
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. roll — a cake
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. scale — size or range
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — in music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. trunk — of a tree

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