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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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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 · ball · date · scale · bear · bore · chest · cell

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — in music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bore — to tire
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chest — a box
  23. bore — to drill
  24. date — the fruit

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