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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 116 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
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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: lash · craft · cabinet · cold · root · lie · scale · bass

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bass — low music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. scale — in music
  13. root — the cause
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — of a word
  20. scale — size or range
  21. craft — boats
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — the instrument

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