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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: present · calf · mouse · can · rest · wake · scale · wind

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. present — there
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — the time now
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. present — a gift
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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