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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 · game · rush · wound · wind · hide · mouse · date

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. date — the fruit
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. scale — in music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rush — hurry
  15. scale — size or range
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. wind — moving air
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — animal skin
  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