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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.

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: calf · net · saw · mate · track · craft · present · chest

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mate — a partner
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chest — of your body
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. present — there
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — the time now
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chest — a box
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. craft — boats
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. track — a song
  22. present — a gift
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mate — to breed

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