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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: club · file · wound · wave · scale · fall · rash · shower

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. scale — in music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fall — the season
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a tool
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. club — a group
  14. rash — hasty
  15. shower — to wash
  16. club — for golf
  17. shower — rain
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a document
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rash — a series
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fall — to drop

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