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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.

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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: chest · bound · cap · current · season · fall · scale · hide

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. chest — a box
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bound — certain
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fall — the season
  9. bound — obliged
  10. scale — size or range
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chest — of your body
  17. season — in sport
  18. bound — tied together
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. scale — in music
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — electric
  23. season — of the year
  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