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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · straw · squash · track · sharp · perch · rest · net

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — clever
  3. net — for catching
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — a song
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. rest — what's left
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. perch — the fish
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. squash — the sport
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. squash — to crush

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