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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: hide · file · last · patient · scale · mug · roll · bass

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — a face
  8. scale — size or range
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a line of people
  12. last — final
  13. file — a document
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. roll — a list
  17. mug — to rob
  18. file — a tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — finally

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