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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: scale · lie · straw · sharp · row · leaves · stock · staff

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. row — to paddle
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. scale — in music
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lie — to recline
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stock — shares
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stock — goods
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. row — a line
  21. staff — employees
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  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