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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: calf · dip · suit · racket · chest · sharp · wound · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. suit — clothes
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — a box
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. scale — size or range
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. suit — in cards
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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