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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lean — thin
  18. roll — a list
  19. net — for catching
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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