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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: net · perch · key · wound · calf · stock · last · lie

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. last — finally
  10. key — in music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. key — the most important part
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — goods
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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