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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: ground · lie · scale · chest · nail · spell · mouse · hide

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ground — a position
  7. chest — a box
  8. spell — a short time
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — letters
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. scale — in music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lie — to recline

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