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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: dip · bear · cold · bay · nail · charge · rush · scale

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. scale — in music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. scale — size or range
  14. dip — to sink
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. charge — a price
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cold — not warm

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