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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.

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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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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: rule · fall · fork · leaves · sharp · scale · wound · bank

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — clever
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rule — government
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. scale — size or range
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rule — a law
  12. bank — of a river
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bank — for money
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. scale — in music
  21. fall — the season
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wound — an injury

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