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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: straw · bulb · calf · bass · cabinet · scale · mine · hide

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. scale — in music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bass — low music
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. scale — size or range
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mine — for digging
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bass — the fish
  24. scale — for weighing

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