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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · scale · safe · squash · can · mate · tear · lie

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. scale — in music
  3. squash — the sport
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mate — a friend
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. can — a tin
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — to breed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — to crush

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