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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · rock · march · cue · suit · wave · spell · scale

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rock — music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — a hint
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — magic
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cue — a signal
  18. chest — a box
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. scale — in music
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — with your hand

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