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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: mark · net · calf · spring · nail · lean · sharp · track

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — in sport
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — the season
  7. mark — a trace
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — clever
  13. net — for catching
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. track — a song
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — a path
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spring — of water
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spring — a coil
  23. net — after costs
  24. sharp — exactly

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