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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: current · rash · mark · pit · prune · wind · scale · hide

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — happening now
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rash — a series
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — electric
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rash — hasty
  20. current — of water
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — in music
  24. pit — a hole

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