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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
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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: scale · safe · branch · file · tear · key · pass · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. branch — a division
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tear — to rip
  8. scale — size or range
  9. key — in music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. file — a tool
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. scale — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pass — a permit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tear — from crying
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. branch — of a bank

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