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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — to recline
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bore — to drill
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — a path
  14. wake — a trail
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bound — tied together
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cap — a hat

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