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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rash — a series
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — an amount
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pit — a hole
  12. degree — temperature
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — from a university
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. nail — for a hammer

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