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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.

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: rest · ball · lie · trunk · scale · kid · bass · fine

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fine — all right
  17. scale — size or range
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. scale — in music
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ball — a dance

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