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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · ruler · land · fan · scale · leaves · mouse · capital

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wind — moving air
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. capital — a city
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. capital — money
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. capital — a big letter

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