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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: scale · charge · lie · safe · chest · fan · row · spring

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — in music
  4. row — a line
  5. chest — a box
  6. charge — electricity
  7. lie — to recline
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — of water
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. charge — a price

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