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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: bowl · hide · fall · dip · scale · spell · season · foot

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — letters
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. dip — to sink
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — in sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. scale — size or range
  24. spell — magic

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