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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 116 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: stick · net · row · mark · last · trunk · kid · calf

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mark — a trace
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. last — finally
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — a line
  10. kid — child
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. mark — a grade
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. kid — to tease
  17. last — final
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — to paddle
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. last — to go on

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