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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.

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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: mine · lie · scale · saw · last · spell · kid · pass

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. lie — to recline
  10. last — finally
  11. kid — to tease
  12. last — final
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kid — child
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. last — to go on

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