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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.

Make a worksheet

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: calf · cold · plane · game · arm · net · mate · ball

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. net — after costs
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mate — to breed
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mate — a friend
  9. game — a match
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mate — a partner
  12. plane — a tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cold — an illness
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. ball — a great time
  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