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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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. bowl — a dish
  4. shower — rain
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. shower — to wash
  7. craft — boats
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a city
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — money
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ball — a great time
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. craft — a skill

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