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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rash — a series
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. land — to come down
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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