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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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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: tube · kick · saw · bat · lie · scale · wound · bulb

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. scale — size or range
  11. tube — a container
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. kick — in football
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — an injury

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