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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.

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: bowl · cue · arm · lean · cold · calf · rush · net

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. net — for catching
  5. cue — for pool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. net — after costs
  8. cold — not warm
  9. lean — thin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rush — hurry
  12. net — in sport
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rush — a thrill

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