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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 120 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: rash · sharp · land · cabinet · stand · tube · bass · straw

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. land — ground
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. land — to come down
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rash — hasty
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — a container
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rash — a series
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bass — low music
  18. land — a country
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — with an edge

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