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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: firm · wake · bay · wound · scale · staff · hide · racket

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. staff — employees
  6. firm — steady
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wound — an injury
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — decided
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — in music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — a company

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