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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: drill · calf · leaves · object · net · cell · kid · squash

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — in sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. kid — child
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cell — a phone
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. net — after costs
  16. squash — the sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. object — to protest
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. object — an aim
  21. squash — to crush
  22. drill — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — for catching

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