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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · calf · key · file · degree · safe · charge · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. key — for a lock
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. file — a tool
  8. degree — from a university
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — in music
  15. charge — a price
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. degree — temperature
  18. file — a line of people
  19. charge — in control
  20. file — a document
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. charge — electricity
  23. key — the most important part
  24. degree — an amount

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