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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — music
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pop — soda
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. pop — to visit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — to get on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. kid — child
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. kid — to tease

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