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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. scale — in music
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. root — of a word
  9. key — the most important part
  10. root — the cause
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. root — of a plant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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