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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: arm · scale · craft · calf · cell · chip · leaves · toast

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. craft — boats
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. toast — bread
  8. chip — for betting
  9. scale — in music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cell — a phone
  20. craft — a skill
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. calf — of the leg

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