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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: wound · rest · stick · scale · pit · calf · spell · ruler

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spell — letters
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. scale — in music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rest — what's left
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rest — a break
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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