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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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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: pound · temple · calf · cap · safe · cell · cold · bound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cap — a hat
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pound — a weight
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bound — certain
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bound — tied together
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bound — obliged

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