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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: safe · cabinet · fall · content · race · hand · ruler · scale

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — humankind
  8. race — the arms race
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — the season
  11. race — a contest
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — in cards
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. content — happy
  19. scale — in music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — help
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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