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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 116 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: leaves · wake · race · scale · spell · firm · content · drill

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — a trail
  3. content — happy
  4. drill — a practice
  5. content — the amount
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. drill — army training
  9. spell — a short time
  10. drill — the tool
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. scale — in music
  18. firm — steady
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. firm — decided
  21. race — humankind
  22. spell — letters
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. spell — magic

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