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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: board · scale · arm · club · tear · lie · leaves · rash

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. board — a committee
  10. club — for dancing
  11. scale — in music
  12. board — to get on
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. club — for golf
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. club — a group
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  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