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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
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: plane · toast · swing · content · patient · net · lean · calf

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. net — in sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — happy
  6. lean — to bend
  7. swing — music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. toast — bread
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. net — for catching
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. swing — in golf
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. swing — to play on
  22. content — the amount
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — after costs

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