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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 · wound · kid · net · deal · mug · present · spring

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. present — there
  5. net — for catching
  6. present — the time now
  7. mug — a face
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. present — a gift
  12. net — after costs
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mug — a cup
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — in sport
  19. spring — of water
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wound — an injury

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