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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: scale · wave · coach · lash · current · rock · fork · foot

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. scale — size or range
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — in music
  6. rock — music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rock — a stone
  15. current — electric
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. foot — a measure
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. current — of water
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — happening now

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