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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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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: snap · patient · dip · net · deal · calf · race · perch

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. race — the arms race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — after costs
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — humankind
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. race — a contest
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. net — for catching
  19. snap — to click
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to dunk

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