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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: scale · fork · fan · race · snap · key · lie · lean

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to bend
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. key — the most important part
  14. scale — size or range
  15. race — a contest
  16. scale — in music
  17. snap — to click
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. race — humankind
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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