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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
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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: bass · land · toast · rush · scale · staff · hide · spell

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — magic
  12. toast — bread
  13. rush — hurry
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bass — the fish
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — letters
  20. scale — in music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. scale — size or range
  24. land — ground

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