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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · lie · cap · scale · ball · sharp · stand · object

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. object — to protest
  7. kid — to tease
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. cap — a hat
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. scale — in music
  17. object — a thing
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — to recline
  23. kid — child
  24. object — an aim

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