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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. field — farmland
  11. scale — in music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bound — certain
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. field — a subject
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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