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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 · bank · stem · saw · sharp · stand · scale · row

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — to bear
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — for money
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bank — of a river
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. row — a line
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. calf — of the leg

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