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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
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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: mine · net · mate · prune · rash · calf · rest · stick

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mine — for digging
  23. net — for catching
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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