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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: calf · wake · roll · staff · chest · ball · rash · scale

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. roll — a list
  6. ball — a great time
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a dance
  10. scale — in music
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wake — a trail
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — size or range
  23. chest — of your body
  24. scale — for weighing

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