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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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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: saw · bay · kick · bowl · wound · mark · calf · net

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mark — a grade
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. net — after costs
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kick — in football
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. net — for catching

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