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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.

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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: lean · key · net · land · wound · saw · calf · suit

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lean — thin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. net — for catching
  8. wound — an injury
  9. land — ground
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. key — for a lock
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wound — an injury
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. land — a country
  24. suit — clothes

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