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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: squash · mine · scale · row · lie · safe · patient · straw

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. squash — the sport
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — in music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mine — for digging
  23. lie — to recline
  24. scale — for weighing

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