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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mate · arm · bear · sharp · net · band · bark · calf

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bear — the animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — a partner
  9. net — after costs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bark — to shout
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. band — a ring
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. band — a music group
  21. sharp — clever
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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