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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 120 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: last · scale · fall · lie · safe · bulb · board · clip

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — to cut
  5. scale — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — size or range
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. last — finally
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. last — to go on
  15. board — a committee
  16. fall — to drop
  17. last — final
  18. lie — to recline
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — of a plant

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