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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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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: fine · scale · wind · deal · current · cell · ruler · tear

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cell — a phone
  9. tear — to rip
  10. current — happening now
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. current — electric
  13. scale — in music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tear — from crying
  24. ruler — a monarch

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