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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rest — a break
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a path
  13. bat — the animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. track — a song
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — to keep track
  20. row — a line
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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