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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: rest · mark · scale · cell · wind · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. scale — in music
  4. cell — in biology
  5. object — an aim
  6. wind — moving air
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. rest — a break
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — to protest
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left

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