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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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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: dip · key · cell · fall · ruler · fine · chest · scale

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fall — the season
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. scale — in music
  8. key — in music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — all right
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cell — in biology
  21. chest — a box
  22. dip — to sink
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ruler — for measuring

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