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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.

Make a worksheet

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: scale · spell · mouse · cold · pit · object · fan · hide

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — a short time
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. spell — letters
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. object — an aim
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cold — not warm
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. spell — magic
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cold — an illness
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. scale — in music
  24. mouse — the animal

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