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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · fork · face · lash · lean · saw · net · scale

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. face — to point toward
  11. net — in sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — to confront
  16. scale — size or range
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — part of the head
  19. scale — in music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — to bend

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