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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: degree · band · safe · can · lie · bay · wound · scale

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. band — a ring
  5. degree — from a university
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — size or range
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. degree — temperature
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. band — a music group
  22. scale — in music
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a rubber band

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