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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: bass · calf · row · wound · chest · rush · net · ball

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. row — to paddle
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. rush — hurry
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. net — in sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. chest — of your body
  14. row — a line
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — after costs
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. row — a quarrel

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