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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: cabinet · pass · hide · bowl · row · scale · foot · staff

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — employees
  20. row — a line
  21. pass — a permit
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hide — to keep secret

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