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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: calf · mine · net · fall · wake · march · scale · leaves

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — the month
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wake — a trail
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. net — for catching
  22. scale — in music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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