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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.

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: wake · wave · present · bore · squash · fall · scale · sharp

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. present — there
  3. sharp — clever
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — the time now
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. scale — in music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. squash — the sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fall — the season
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wake — before a funeral

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