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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: bear · scale · wake · foot · fall · key · ruler · dip

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. scale — size or range
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fall — the season
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. key — the most important part
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — 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