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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.

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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: lean · degree · calf · cold · charge · safe · field · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. cold — not warm
  13. charge — a price
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. field — a subject
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. charge — in control
  23. lean — thin
  24. field — for sport

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