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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — size or range
  3. band — a music group
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — to recline
  9. band — a ring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. scale — in music
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. content — happy
  15. can — to be able to
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. content — the amount
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. can — a tin
  24. hand — part of the body

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