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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: rock · lie · wave · scale · chest · cue · wound · bay

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rock — music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. chest — of your body
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. chest — a box
  24. bay — a horse colour

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