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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · rest · safe · scale · cabinet · season · wake · snap

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wake — a trail
  6. scale — in music
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — in sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rest — a break
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. snap — to click
  21. field — a subject
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. season — of the year

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