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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: lean · calf · kid · scale · hand · pass · stand · temple

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hand — help
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stand — to bear
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lean — thin
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lean — to bend
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. kid — child
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stand — for spectators

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