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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · can · bat · kid · lie · scale

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kid — to tease
  5. scale — in music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bat — for baseball

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