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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: wake · cold · mark · bound · scale · foot · row · toast

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. scale — in music
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wake — a trail
  19. toast — bread
  20. bound — obliged
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. toast — the most admired

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