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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.

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 · foot · present · mouse · game · branch · wind · calf

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — a division
  4. foot — a measure
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. net — in sport
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. net — for catching
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. net — after costs
  13. present — a gift
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. present — the time now
  19. game — a match
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. present — there
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. branch — of a tree

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