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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.

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
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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: mug · lean · chair · file · leaves · vault · board · scale

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mug — a face
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. scale — in music
  12. vault — a safe
  13. file — a tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. mug — a cup
  18. file — a document
  19. board — a committee
  20. file — a line of people
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. scale — size or range

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