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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. firm — decided
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a dance
  7. sharp — clever
  8. hand — in cards
  9. firm — a company
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. firm — steady
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — in music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pound — a weight
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lie — to recline

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