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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 · fan · row · club · wind · scale · plane · lie

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wind — moving air
  4. scale — in music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lie — to recline
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. scale — size or range
  17. row — a line
  18. plane — a tool
  19. row — to paddle
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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