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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · row · content · rash · wound · mark · lash · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. content — the amount
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wound — an injury
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mark — a trace
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. scale — in music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. content — happy
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. row — a line
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rash — a series

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