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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: coach · safe · scale · face · file · cap · ground · spell

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. ground — the earth
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cap — of ice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — magic
  11. file — a line of people
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ground — a position
  14. spell — letters
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a document
  21. cap — a lid
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. face — part of the head
  24. file — a tool

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