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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: calf · fork · mug · fall · straw · net

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — after costs
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. net — in sport
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fork — in a road
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — for catching
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mug — a face

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