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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: club · hide · mark · patient · sharp · straw · scale · band

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. band — a music group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — clever
  18. scale — size or range
  19. club — for golf
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. band — a ring
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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