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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 · land · wound · craft · rash · scale · kid · calf

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. rash — a series
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rash — hasty
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. wound — an injury
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. land — a country
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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