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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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 — size or range
  2. roll — a cake
  3. track — a song
  4. rash — hasty
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. toast — bread
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fall — to drop
  14. scale — in music
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — a series
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. roll — a list
  21. fall — the season
  22. lie — to recline
  23. track — a path
  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