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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · mouse · scale · lean · snap · file · bank · rock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. rock — music
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mug — to rob
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. file — a tool
  17. lean — thin
  18. file — a document
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. scale — in music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. snap — to click
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lean — to bend

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