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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.

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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 · last · dip · cue · safe · stem · fan · mark

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. last — final
  5. mark — a trace
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. last — finally
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cue — a hint
  17. scale — size or range
  18. last — to go on
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cue — a signal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mark — a grade

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