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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 · lash · dip · stem · nail · key · rule · pitcher

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — for a lock
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rule — a law
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. scale — in music
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. key — in music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — size or range

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