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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · lash · scale · nail · fine · rock · fall · wake

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chest — of your body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. fall — to drop
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fine — all right
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fall — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — high quality
  24. scale — in music

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