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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
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: date · band · calf · plane · hide · scale · tear · bass

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. scale — in music
  3. bass — low music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — from crying
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tear — from crying
  15. date — the fruit
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bass — the fish
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — in geometry

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