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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
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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 · wake · nail · tube · bore · toast · rest · firm

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. scale — size or range
  5. firm — decided
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. scale — in music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rest — a break
  15. firm — steady
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bore — to drill
  18. toast — bread
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — a company
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. scale — for weighing

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