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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
468
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: rule · bound · row · file · lash · scale · ground · safe

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. ground — crushed
  4. scale — in music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bound — obliged
  8. row — to paddle
  9. rule — government
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — a line
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. ground — the earth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ground — a position
  24. lash — an eyelash

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