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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.

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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: ball · lie · scale · calf · stand · chest · branch · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chest — a box
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ball — a great time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. scale — size or range
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — to recline
  23. scale — in music
  24. stand — on your feet

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