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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 120 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
YesNo
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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 · trunk · perch · lean · bass · leaves · stick · mine

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — size or range
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bass — low music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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