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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · root · craft · scale · file · bass · face · hide

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bass — low music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. root — of a plant
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. face — to confront
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cue — for pool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. root — of a word
  16. scale — in music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. root — the cause
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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