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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · calf · ball · bass · chest · safe · row · rest

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rest — a break
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a dance
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chest — of your body
  14. ball — a great time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. chest — a box
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. row — a line
  21. bass — the fish
  22. present — a gift
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bass — low music

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