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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · row · fine · chair · sharp · scale · dip · leaves

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fine — high quality
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chair — a leader
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fine — all right
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wind — moving air
  24. scale — for weighing

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