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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: bay · calf · cabinet · fan · fall · scale · race · sharp

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. fall — the season
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — humankind
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — a contest
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fall — to drop
  16. race — the arms race
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bay — a horse colour

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