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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.

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: fine · net · calf · saw · cap · content · drill · snap

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fine — all right
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cap — a hat
  6. net — after costs
  7. content — the amount
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — for catching
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. net — in sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — army training
  14. cap — a lid
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fine — high quality
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. snap — to click
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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