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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lie — to recline
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — music
  18. scale — in music
  19. track — a path
  20. snap — to click
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a song
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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