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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
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: straw · current · cell · suit · hand · scale · fine · rest

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. scale — in music
  3. cell — in biology
  4. current — of water
  5. hand — in cards
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hand — help
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — electric
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rest — what's left
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. rest — a break
  20. current — happening now
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cell — a phone

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