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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 120 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: saw · foot · scale · fan · wave · season · calf · chip

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. season — of the year
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. scale — in music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chip — for betting
  13. season — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. scale — size or range
  24. foot — a measure

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