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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.

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 · squash · fall · file · root · can · straw · wave

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. root — the cause
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. squash — to crush
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. scale — in music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. file — a document
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. file — a tool
  17. fall — the season
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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