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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 116 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: net · plane · saw · ball · content · calf · patient · bark

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. net — in sport
  4. content — the amount
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bark — to shout
  13. net — for catching
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. content — happy
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — after costs
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — a young animal

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