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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: snap · file · lie · bay · bound · scale · bulb · plane

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. scale — in music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. scale — size or range
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bulb — for light
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a document
  10. bound — tied together
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lie — to recline
  15. file — a tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — certain
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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