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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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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: bore · lie · safe · cell · field · rest · scale · bulb

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cell — in biology
  4. field — a subject
  5. rest — what's left
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bulb — for light
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cell — a phone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. field — farmland
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rest — a break
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rest — what's left

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