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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: straw · bass · charge · scale · rule · staff · hide · nail

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. rule — to rule out
  2. staff — a stick
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rule — a law
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bass — low music
  13. charge — a price
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. charge — in control
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rule — government
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. charge — electricity
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the fish
  23. staff — employees
  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