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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: cabinet · rush · scale · hide · safe · straw · rest · pop

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pop — music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rest — a break
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — soda
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — hurry
  21. scale — in music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. scale — size or range
  24. safe — a strongbox

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