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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 116 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: object · fan · kick · scale · tear · craft · kid · lie

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. scale — in music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. object — to protest
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. kid — child
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — to tease
  22. object — a thing
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. craft — a handicraft

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