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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cold — an illness
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cap — of ice
  24. lash — to lash out

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