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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: net · cabinet · trunk · straw · fork · dip · calf · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rash — hasty
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. net — in sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rash — a series
  16. fork — in a road
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. net — after costs
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. net — for catching
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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