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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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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 · key · wave · scale · ruler · kick · chair · sharp

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kick — in football
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rest — a break
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. key — for a lock
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. key — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — in music
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rest — what's left

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