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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.

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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: scale · hide · bass · squash · rest · dip · calf · race

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — in music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rest — a break
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — to sink
  20. squash — to crush
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rest — what's left
  24. scale — size or range

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