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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 120 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: chest · lie · safe · rest · net · rash · scale · pass

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. net — after costs
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rash — a series
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — a break
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pass — a permit
  16. net — in sport
  17. scale — in music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — size or range
  20. net — for catching
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chest — a box
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. safe — a strongbox

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