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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: lean · plane · wave · calf · race · scale · craft · pitch

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitch — completely
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. race — the arms race
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — a contest

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