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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: fall · stem · deal · wake · board · scale · rash · rest

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. board — to get on
  6. rash — hasty
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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