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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 120 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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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: rule · wave · cell · rest · lash · foot · cue · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. cell — a phone
  7. rest — a break
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cell — in biology
  24. foot — a measure

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