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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: arm · bulb · craft · calf · clip · lean · scale · net

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lean — to bend
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — a video
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — after costs
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. scale — in music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — for catching
  19. lean — thin
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. clip — for paper
  24. craft — boats

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