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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: wind · leaves · scale · arm · bear · fine · shower · foot

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — all right
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. shower — rain
  11. foot — a measure
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. scale — size or range
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. shower — to wash
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — part of the body

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