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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — in music
  3. lean — thin
  4. ball — a dance
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stock — shares
  19. kick — in football
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stock — goods

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