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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. content — happy
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lie — to recline
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — in music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — to rip
  21. content — the amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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