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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. field — a subject
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cap — of ice
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cell — in biology
  14. sharp — clever
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cell — a phone
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bay — a horse colour

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