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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · firm · court · straw · saw · mate · mouse · face

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. scale — size or range
  6. court — of law
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. saw — the tool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. face — part of the head
  13. court — of a king
  14. scale — in music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. firm — a company
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. firm — steady
  21. court — for sport
  22. mate — a friend
  23. face — to point toward
  24. mate — to breed

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