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

Word bank: lie · rule · scale · present · tear · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. present — the time now
  3. tear — from crying
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. march — the month
  8. rule — government
  9. present — a gift
  10. scale — in music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rule — a law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. march — music
  18. present — there

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