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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: snap · rest · scale · leaves · charge · key · degree · drill

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. charge — a price
  6. drill — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — a practice
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. degree — temperature
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. charge — electricity
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rest — a break
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. degree — an amount
  19. snap — to click
  20. key — the most important part
  21. degree — from a university
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. scale — size or range
  24. key — in music

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