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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chest — a box
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. scale — size or range
  7. squash — the sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lean — thin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. scale — in music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cap — a lid
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chest — of your body
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rule — government
  24. cap — a hat

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