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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kid — child
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bass — low music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bass — the fish
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mouse — the animal

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