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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: rush · scale · saw · mug · ruler · lean · spring · bay

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. lean — thin
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. spring — the season
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spring — of water
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. scale — in music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mug — a face
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mug — to rob
  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