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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 · fall · calf · spring · mark · scale · pass · board

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — in music
  3. pass — a permit
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fall — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. scale — size or range

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