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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bound — obliged
  4. scale — size or range
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bass — low music
  7. board — a committee
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bass — the fish
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bound — tied together
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bound — certain
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. can — a tin
  19. scale — in music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — to get on
  24. mouse — for a computer

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