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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 · bat · wake · object · scale · squash · present · coach

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bat — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. scale — in music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. present — the time now
  10. lie — to recline
  11. object — a thing
  12. present — a gift
  13. squash — the sport
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. squash — to crush
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — an aim
  18. present — there
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. object — to protest

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