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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 120 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: fan · scale · present · wound · tear · foot · bound · fork

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. scale — size or range
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bound — obliged
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. scale — in music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. present — there
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bound — certain
  17. present — the time now
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. present — a gift
  23. fork — in a road
  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