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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: cabinet · hand · firm · bark · lash · rush · scale · rock

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — help
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. rush — hurry
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rock — music
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. firm — steady
  24. scale — in 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