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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: bear · cell · row · calf · hand · arm · mark · scale

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. scale — in music
  3. cell — in biology
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mark — a trace
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — a line
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. mark — a grade
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. cell — in a prison

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