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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 120 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. scale — in music
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rest — a break
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — ministers

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