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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bass — low music
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — to drill
  8. clip — to cut
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. field — farmland
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. clip — a video
  14. bore — to tire
  15. field — a subject
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. field — for sport
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bass — the fish

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