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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: scale · wake · wind · chip · wound · bay · coach · lie

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. chip — for betting
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wake — a trail
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. scale — in music
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wake — before a funeral

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