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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: lie · craft · lean · drill · cue · march · hide · scale

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — a skill
  3. drill — army training
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. scale — size or range
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lean — thin
  18. march — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — a practice
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to rest against

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