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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: swing · drill · degree · mark · cabinet · scale · object · lie

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. drill — the tool
  6. object — an aim
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — to recline
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. degree — temperature
  12. drill — army training
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. drill — a practice
  16. degree — from a university
  17. scale — size or range
  18. swing — in golf
  19. degree — an amount
  20. scale — in music
  21. object — to protest
  22. swing — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. object — a thing

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