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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: fan · wound · scale · hide · temple · lean · fine · tube

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — size or range
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lean — thin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — to bend
  16. scale — in music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — high quality
  20. tube — a container
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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