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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. suit — in cards
  6. snap — to click
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rock — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. suit — to fit
  18. scale — in music
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — child
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — size or range
  24. last — finally

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