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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: bear · bound · wake · rock · nail · scale · suit · chip

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chip — to eat
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bound — certain
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. scale — in music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rock — music
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — to fit

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