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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.

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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: scale · key · hide · stick · wind · fan · deal · tube

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. key — the most important part
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. tube — a container
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fan — a supporter

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