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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a document
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fall — the season
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ground — crushed
  16. scale — in music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. file — a tool
  23. ground — a position
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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