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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · present · leaves · fall · mate · arm · net · sharp

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. net — for catching
  3. present — a gift
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fall — the season
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — after costs
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mate — a friend
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. mate — to breed
  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