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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 · scale · plane · chair · field · hide · bass · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. field — for sport
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. scale — size or range
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chair — a leader
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bass — the fish
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. race — a contest
  19. scale — in music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — low music

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