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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 120 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: lie · scale · kid · lash · march · bound · bowl · firm

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. march — the month
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. march — the month
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. march — music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — steady
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — certain
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bowl — a football final

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