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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: scale · lean · fork · file · wound · rash · chip · dip

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lean — thin
  7. rash — a series
  8. file — a tool
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. file — a document
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wound — an injury
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chip — for betting
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fork — in a road

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