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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. key — for a lock
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — in music
  18. kid — child
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. scale — size or range

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