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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 · mate · field · arm · scale · hand · hide · clip

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. clip — for paper
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. clip — to cut
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. scale — size or range
  12. field — a subject
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. field — for sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — farmland
  24. clip — a video

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