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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · fork · stick · calf · plane · fan · shower · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. shower — to wash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. shower — rain
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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