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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 120 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: ground · leaves · stick · rash · scale · ruler · wave · cue

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cue — for pool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — in music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ground — a position
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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