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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.

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: can · hide · game · bound · bear · lean · scale · fan

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bound — certain
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — a tin
  13. lean — thin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. game — a match

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