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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · chair · wake · staff · scale · lean · nail · kid

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rush — hurry
  7. staff — a stick
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lean — thin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. scale — in music
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kid — child
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. staff — employees
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wake — before a funeral

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