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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: lean · calf · race · chair · mug · bulb · scale · club

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lean — thin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a face
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. mug — to rob
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lean — to bend
  19. race — a contest
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — for golf
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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