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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: deal · fall · scale · mouse · lie · content · pound · safe

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — the season
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. content — happy
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. scale — in music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — for weighing
  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