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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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468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. fine — all right
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. game — wild animals
  7. scale — in music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. craft — a skill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. game — a match
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. fine — high quality
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cell — in biology
  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