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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: degree · cue · safe · prune · straw · bay · scale · lie

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lie — to recline
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. degree — from a university
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cue — a hint
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cue — for pool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lie — an untruth

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