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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 116 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 · bear · cap · squash · bat · scale · pass · lie

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. scale — in music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cap — of ice
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. scale — size or range
  9. squash — to crush
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bat — the animal

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