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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: scale · hide · cabinet · season · wound · date · mouse · press

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wound — an injury
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. press — to push
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — in music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. press — newspapers

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