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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: roll · bass · file · bulb · net · rash · calf · cabinet

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a tool
  4. net — in sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — hasty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — a series
  14. file — a document
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bass — the fish
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. net — for catching
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. cabinet — ministers

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