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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: fine · wake · rash · face · bulb · staff · spell · scale

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. face — to point toward
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rash — a series
  13. fine — high quality
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. staff — employees
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spell — magic
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. face — to confront
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bulb — for light

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