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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.

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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: cap · scale · spell · lash · bass · tube · firm · bore

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — the fish
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spell — magic
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bore — to tire
  9. scale — in music
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — size or range
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. spell — a short time
  18. firm — a company
  19. tube — a container
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — letters
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bass — low music
  24. tube — the underground

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