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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: rule · bay · nail · bat · leaves · band · scale · row

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. band — a music group
  13. scale — size or range
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rule — government
  18. bat — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rule — a law
  22. band — a ring
  23. row — to paddle
  24. scale — in music

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