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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. field — a subject
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. field — for sport
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — to recline
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — in music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. field — farmland
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rock — music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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