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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: fine · mark · fan · hide · cabinet · wind · scale · rock

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — size or range
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — in music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. fine — all right

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