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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: root · wind · file · mouse · leaves · scale · charge · hide

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. charge — electricity
  7. file — a document
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. root — of a word
  12. charge — in control
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. file — a tool
  15. charge — a price
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. file — a line of people
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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