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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mug — a cup
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. game — a match
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rest — a break
  8. mug — a face
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. scale — size or range
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. scale — in music
  24. lie — an untruth

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