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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 120 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: present · foot · calf · bound · mate · net · wave · stem

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. present — a gift
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bound — certain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — in sport
  14. bound — obliged
  15. net — for catching
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — the time now
  20. foot — a measure
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. present — there
  23. bound — tied together
  24. net — after costs

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