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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 116 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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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: stick · rock · net · calf · wave · rest · cell · suit

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — in biology
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rock — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rest — a break
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. net — for catching

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