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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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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: deal · racket · tear · calf · cold · fan · net · wave

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cold — not warm
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — to rip
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cold — an illness
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. net — after costs
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. tear — from crying

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