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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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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 · saw · track · bear · roll · foot · rock · lash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. track — a song
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — the tool
  13. net — for catching
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — a stone
  18. track — a path
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — after costs
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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