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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.

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: lie · game · mate · scale · ball · row · wave · band

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. row — a line
  7. game — a match
  8. mate — a friend
  9. scale — size or range
  10. row — to paddle
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ball — a dance
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lie — to recline
  23. scale — in music
  24. band — a ring

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