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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: lean · trunk · hide · scale · date · last · leaves · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — finally
  6. date — the fruit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. scale — in music
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. last — final
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lean — thin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lean — to bend
  24. scale — for weighing

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