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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
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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: lean · sharp · scale · last · fine · mouse · hide · firm

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. firm — decided
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. last — final
  7. scale — in music
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. firm — a company
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. last — finally
  17. firm — steady
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. scale — size or range

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