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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rest — a break
  6. fall — the season
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. staff — employees
  14. fall — to drop
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — size or range
  17. suit — in cards
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. snap — to click
  23. staff — employees
  24. scale — for weighing

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