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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. scale — size or range
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — rain
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. scale — in music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lie — an untruth

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