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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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468
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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — the time now
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pass — to succeed

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