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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. scale — in music
  5. firm — steady
  6. roll — a cake
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. firm — a company
  20. lie — to recline
  21. roll — a list
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. firm — decided
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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