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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: scale · rush · saw · chair · mug · hand · craft · kick

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — hurry
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. kick — in football
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. scale — in music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hand — help
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mug — to rob

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