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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: cabinet · scale · spell · stand · ground · calf · lean · snap

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. snap — to click
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lean — thin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stand — to bear
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. spell — magic
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. lean — to bend

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