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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · stand · leaves · clip · hand · lie · lash · chest

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stand — to bear
  3. clip — for paper
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chest — a box
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. clip — a video
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. clip — to cut
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hand — part of the body

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