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

Word bank: cabinet · craft · racket · hide · scale · fall · lash · calf

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — the season
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. craft — boats
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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