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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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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: calf · content · mug · land · safe · bat · rush · tube

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. mug — a face
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bat — the animal
  5. land — ground
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — the amount
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. tube — the underground
  17. content — happy
  18. tube — a container
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. land — to come down
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mug — a cup
  24. safe — out of danger

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