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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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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 · trunk · rest · key · staff · wake · rule · bear

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — government
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. staff — a stick
  17. key — in music
  18. wake — a trail
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. key — the most important part

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