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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: squash · scale · chest · fine · rule · pass · wake · rush

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chest — a box
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. squash — to crush
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rule — a law
  15. fine — high quality
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rule — government
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fine — all right
  22. rush — hurry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. scale — in 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