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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · saw · arm · fine · rest · bound · spell · cue

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rest — a break
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bound — certain
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rest — what's left
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bound — tied together
  23. spell — letters
  24. saw — the tool

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