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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: lean · scale · lie · hide · capital · bass · mate · mark

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lean — to bend
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — money
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bass — low music
  10. capital — a city
  11. mate — to breed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — thin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a grade
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bass — the instrument

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