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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: rush · kick · scale · wake · spell · nail · racket · wave

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. spell — a short time
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — in music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. spell — letters
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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