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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: net · squash · face · cap · scale · toast · safe · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — a hat
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cap — a lid
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. toast — bread
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. net — after costs
  17. cap — of ice
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — for catching
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. face — to point toward
  24. toast — the most admired

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