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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: wake · scale · season · nail · suit · fall · branch · game

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. game — wild animals
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. season — of the year
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. game — a match
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fall — to drop
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. fall — the season
  24. wake — a trail

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