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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: rest · mine · roll · scale · rule · clip · wake · mark

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wake — a trail
  3. scale — in music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rule — government
  9. roll — a cake
  10. rest — what's left
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — a law
  14. mine — for digging
  15. clip — a video
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. roll — a list
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — a break
  24. mark — a grade

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