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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
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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: saw · fan · suit · wound · calf · cold · scale · cell

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cell — a phone
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cold — an illness

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