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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. tube — a container
  6. march — the month
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. row — a line
  10. cap — a hat
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — of ice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. scale — size or range
  15. march — music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cap — a lid
  18. tube — the underground
  19. march — the month
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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