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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 120 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: scale · can · face · bore · staff · lie · shower · bass

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. face — to point toward
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bore — to tire
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. scale — in music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. staff — employees
  18. shower — rain
  19. staff — employees
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — low music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bass — the instrument

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