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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 116 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: bass · cabinet · mine · stand · plane · capital · hide · craft

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. craft — boats
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. capital — a city
  24. hide — animal skin

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