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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 · scale · snap · nail · lie · face · craft · cap

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cap — of ice
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. craft — a skill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. scale — size or range
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. face — to point toward
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. lie — to recline
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. craft — boats
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. scale — for weighing

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