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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · press · calf · rest · clip · bore · mark · wake

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rest — what's left
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rest — a break
  11. mark — a grade
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — to push
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. scale — in music
  18. clip — a video
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wake — a trail

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