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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: cabinet · scale · snap · file · perch · bound · fan · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a document
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to click
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bound — tied together
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — the fish
  24. file — a line of people

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