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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 120 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
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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: straw · fan · lie · ball · cabinet · wound · hide · scale

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ball — a great time
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ball — a dance
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. scale — size or range

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