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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 120 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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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 · suit · scale · lie · leaves · mine · hide · wave

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wind — moving air
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wind — moving air
  10. scale — in music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. hide — to keep secret

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