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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: scale · trunk · suit · lie · ball · tear · mouse · lean

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lean — thin
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. suit — clothes
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. scale — in music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. tear — from crying
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mouse — the animal
  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