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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: scale · fall · bat · stem · sharp · lie · wave · temple

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bat — the animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. stem — to come from
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lie — to recline
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. scale — in music
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. temple — side of the head

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