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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: wound · deal · fall · net · mine · court · bear · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fall — the season
  5. bear — the animal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — for catching
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. mine — for digging
  13. court — of a king
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. court — of law
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — in sport
  24. court — for sport

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