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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: scale · capital · snap · season · roll · mug · pass · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — to rob
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. capital — money
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. snap — to click
  12. season — of the year
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. scale — in music
  17. roll — a cake
  18. capital — a city
  19. mug — a face
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — a list
  24. season — in sport

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