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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: date · nail · perch · net · deal · calf · wind · hand

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — to handle
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — help
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. net — after costs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. net — in sport
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wind — moving air
  13. perch — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — for catching
  17. date — the fruit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. deal — a big deal

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