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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — in music
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. band — a ring
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — to grow
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. band — a music group
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. perch — for a bird

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