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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 · deal · charge · rock · wind · ruler · scale · straw

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. charge — in control
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. rock — a stone
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rock — music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. charge — a price
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — a big deal

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