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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · wind · bound · current · fine · kid · hide · dip

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — in music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. kid — child
  24. current — of water

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