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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: bay · hide · dip · court · snap · safe · patient · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. scale — in music
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. court — of law
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. court — of a king
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to click
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — for sport
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. safe — out of danger

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