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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — hurry
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. band — a music group
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stock — goods
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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