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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: deal · rush · arm · fan · net · spring · lean · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — of water
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. spring — a coil
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spring — the season
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. net — for catching
  24. fan — a supporter

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