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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: scale · lie · wake · pitch · rule · safe · foot · tear

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rule — a law
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rule — government
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. scale — size or range
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — in music
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitch — completely

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