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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 116 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: scale · march · mine · pitcher · rest · lie · bay · file

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. file — a line of people
  3. march — music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a document
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. file — a tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rest — a break
  20. lie — to recline
  21. march — the month
  22. rest — what's left
  23. scale — in music
  24. march — the month

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