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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: can · bat · sharp · mouse · lie · vault · scale · fork

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fork — in a road
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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