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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: sharp · object · net · arm · shower · cap · calf · straw

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. shower — rain
  3. cap — of ice
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — in sport
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. shower — to wash
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — to protest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. object — a thing
  18. cap — a hat
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. cap — a lid
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. sharp — clever

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