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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 116 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: leaves · scale · tube · hand · stand · snap · wound · last

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. last — finally
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. tube — a container
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. scale — size or range
  14. tube — the underground
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. last — final
  18. snap — to click
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hand — help
  21. last — to go on
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — in cards

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