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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cap — a hat
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — a song
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. cap — of ice
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. track — a path
  24. cap — a lid

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