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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: leaves · wave · scale · stock · hide · lean · ball · race

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. scale — in music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stock — shares
  10. race — humankind
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. race — a contest
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lean — thin

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