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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kick — in football
  5. rush — hurry
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. scale — in music
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to confront
  24. scale — for weighing

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