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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 120 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: rush · scale · lean · wake · rock · fine · cell · squash

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fine — all right
  5. rock — music
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cell — in biology
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wake — a trail
  23. scale — in music
  24. squash — the sport

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