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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · deal · bass · safe · scale · stand · lean · file

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bass — low music
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. file — a tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. file — a document
  24. deal — to handle

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