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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: tube · pop · row · rule · scale · mark · wound · wave

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pop — soda
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. scale — in music
  16. tube — a container
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. row — a line
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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