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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: fine · straw · wake · scale · nail · rock · cabinet · firm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fine — all right
  4. scale — in music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — a stone
  7. scale — size or range
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — steady
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. firm — a company
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. firm — decided
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rock — music

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