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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.

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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: wind · ruler · fan · cold · lie · dip · leaves · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. scale — for weighing
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. scale — in music
  5. cold — an illness
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. scale — size or range
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cold — not warm
  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