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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: wound · file · lash · mouse · scale · bear · fine · hide

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. file — a document
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fine — all right
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a tool
  24. fine — a penalty

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