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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: scale · rest · swing · rock · snap · suit · fine · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to click
  4. suit — to fit
  5. scale — size or range
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fine — all right
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rest — a break
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. swing — music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. scale — in music
  18. rest — what's left
  19. suit — in cards
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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