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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: wake · spring · scale · lean · rest · bat · mark · rush

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rest — a break
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bat — the animal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spring — of water
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spring — the season
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. lean — thin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to bend

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