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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 116 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. firm — a company
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pop — to visit
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — the season
  14. deal — to handle
  15. spring — of water
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. firm — steady
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spring — a coil
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pop — music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pop — soda

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