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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
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: cap · scale · nail · rush · racket · mine · wind · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wound — an injury
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. scale — in music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. scale — size or range
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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