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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.

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: stand · spring · file · coach · scale · suit · cabinet · cold

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cold — an illness
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stand — to bear
  9. scale — size or range
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. file — a tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cold — not warm
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. file — a line of people
  24. suit — in cards

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