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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
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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: march · wound · shower · hide · calf · object · scale · spell

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. march — the month
  5. object — a thing
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. march — the month
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. object — an aim
  12. spell — letters
  13. shower — rain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. object — to protest
  20. spell — magic
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — size or range

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