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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · chest · stem · trunk · bat · stand · bound · deal

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stand — to bear
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chest — a box
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. scale — in music
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bound — certain
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bound — obliged
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — size or range

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