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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.

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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: bear · rest · wake · wind · nail · ball · scale · prune

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wake — a trail
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rest — a break
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — the animal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bear — the animal

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