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

Word bank: safe · season · staff · bear · cold · calf · race · patient

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cold — not warm
  6. staff — employees
  7. season — in sport
  8. staff — a stick
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. race — humankind
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. race — a contest
  17. season — of the year
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. race — the arms race
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cold — an illness

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