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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: cue · last · rush · scale · mark · rest · cell · dip

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cue — for pool
  6. last — final
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cell — a phone
  9. scale — in music
  10. last — finally
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — a break
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — to go on
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cue — a signal
  24. dip — a sauce

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