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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: stick · current · wave · bear · calf · ball · net · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. net — after costs
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. net — in sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — electric
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — of water
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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