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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 120 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 · straw · snap · rest · cap · ground · board · bore

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — size or range
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cap — of ice
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. scale — in music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ground — a position
  19. bore — to drill
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cap — a lid
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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