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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rest — a break
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. scale — in music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ball — a round shape

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