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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: wave · scale · craft · rest · fan · trunk · chest · lean

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. lean — thin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. craft — boats
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — a skill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rest — a break
  21. scale — in music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. trunk — of a car

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