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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 · bore · race · field · nail · ball · lash · lie

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. field — farmland
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ball — a great time
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — for sport
  8. scale — in music
  9. bore — to drill
  10. scale — size or range
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lie — to recline
  17. race — a contest
  18. field — a subject
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bore — to tire
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. race — humankind

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