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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: stand · bass · scale · wound · lash · object · nail · cabinet

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. scale — in music
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. object — a thing
  13. stand — to bear
  14. object — to protest
  15. bass — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. scale — size or range
  19. object — an aim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bass — low music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lash — an eyelash

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