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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tube — a container
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. branch — a division
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cue — a signal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hand — help
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — a trace
  23. field — for sport
  24. cue — for pool

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