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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: clip · net · cap · calf · sharp · rock · firm · hand

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. cap — a lid
  9. firm — decided
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — in sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hand — help
  14. clip — for paper
  15. firm — steady
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — to cut
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. firm — a company

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