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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. track — to keep track
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. track — a path
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. track — a song
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. cell — a phone
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bulb — of a plant

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