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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. tear — from crying
  4. suit — in cards
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. track — a song
  7. scale — size or range
  8. track — to keep track
  9. tear — to rip
  10. suit — clothes
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. track — a path
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. scale — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — child
  22. suit — to fit
  23. lie — to recline
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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