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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. object — a thing
  5. land — a country
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — a division
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. object — an aim
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. land — to come down
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. content — the amount
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — ground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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