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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: row · bulb · wound · trunk · net · perch · calf · snap

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. net — in sport
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — to paddle
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — a line

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