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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 120 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 · stick · key · spell · club · bear · saw · net

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. spell — letters
  3. net — in sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. key — the most important part
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — in music
  22. club — for golf
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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