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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — the fish
  10. season — of the year
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. season — in sport
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fan — to cool the air

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