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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: scale · cabinet · rest · game · file · calf · wax · kick

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. file — a tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. scale — size or range
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — to grow
  9. scale — in music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. file — a document
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. game — wild animals
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — a match
  23. file — a line of people
  24. calf — of the leg

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