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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: pound · wake · scale · chest · mark · lean · shower · cue

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mark — a grade
  9. lean — thin
  10. shower — rain
  11. chest — of your body
  12. scale — in music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chest — a box
  24. scale — size or range

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