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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.

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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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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: toast · bay · scale · cell · safe · saw

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. saw — the tool
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. scale — in music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cell — in biology
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. 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