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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: degree · safe · snap · file · scale · present · row · fan

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. file — a document
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. row — to paddle
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. present — the time now
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. scale — size or range
  9. degree — an amount
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. file — a tool
  13. row — a line
  14. file — a line of people
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. scale — in music
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. present — a gift
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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