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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. kid — to tease
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fine — all right
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a document
  13. scale — size or range
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. file — a tool
  17. fine — high quality
  18. kid — child
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tear — from crying

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