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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: last · net · hide · calf · foot · track · rock · kid

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — a path
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — to go on
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. kid — child
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. track — a song
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rock — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kid — to tease

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