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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 · rest · sharp · hand · mouse · branch · lean · present

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. scale — in music
  4. present — there
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. present — the time now
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — thin
  21. rest — a break
  22. lean — to bend
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mouse — for a computer

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