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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · calf · stick · scale · band · current · nail · arm

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. press — a publisher
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. current — electric
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. current — of water
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — to push
  9. band — a music group
  10. press — newspapers
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. scale — size or range
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a ring
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — happening now
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. nail — on a finger

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