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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.

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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: row · key · bore · wound · net · bulb · calf · bat

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — a line
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — for catching
  18. row — to paddle
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bulb — for light

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