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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
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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: net · lean · calf · suit · stick · date · cold · roll

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — clothes
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. suit — in cards
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. date — the fruit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lean — thin
  18. cold — not warm
  19. suit — to fit
  20. roll — a cake
  21. net — in sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. roll — a list
  24. lean — to bend

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