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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · ground · saw · calf · kick · bark · wave · scale

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ground — crushed
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ground — a position
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — to shout
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. saw — the tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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