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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: rest · fine · staff · perch · nail · rush · wound · scale

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wound — an injury
  3. perch — the fish
  4. staff — employees
  5. fine — high quality
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rest — a break
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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