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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — in music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — the season
  13. bass — the fish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bass — low music
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pop — music

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