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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: nail · content · lash · wave · scale · wake · chair · safe

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. scale — in music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — a trail
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chair — a leader
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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