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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 120 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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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: fall · chest · scale · cap · bore · calf · cue · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chest — a box
  5. scale — in music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cap — a hat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — the season
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. cue — a hint
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. scale — size or range
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fall — to drop

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