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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: kid · fine · scale · straw · row · lie · bulb · rash

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. row — a line
  3. scale — in music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fine — all right
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kid — child
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lie — an untruth

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