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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: spell · cell · scale · rock · wave · race · face · racket

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cell — in biology
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — a stone
  6. scale — in music
  7. face — to confront
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spell — a short time
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rock — music
  21. race — a contest
  22. face — part of the head
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rock — to move gently

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