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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: band · temple · calf · cabinet · cell · land · mate · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. land — ground
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. land — a country
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cell — in biology
  12. land — to come down
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. band — a music group
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. scale — size or range
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — a partner
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cell — a phone

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