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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: hide · scale · stick · cabinet · trunk · straw · pass · pop

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pop — to visit
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pass — a permit
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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