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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 116 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: clip · pop · can · firm · wind · rash · coach · scale

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. clip — a video
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — a series
  7. pop — to visit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. can — a tin
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pop — soda
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pop — music
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. firm — steady
  21. rash — hasty
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wind — moving air
  24. scale — in music

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