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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: foot · scale · swing · cell · cabinet · fine · lie · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fine — all right
  5. scale — in music
  6. swing — music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. foot — a measure
  14. scale — size or range
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cell — in biology
  24. saw — the tool

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