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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · calf · root · bark · lash · board · drill · wound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. net — after costs
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. drill — a practice
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. drill — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — in sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. net — for catching
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — of a tree

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