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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: object · safe · craft · tear · chest · calf · band · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. craft — boats
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chest — of your body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a ring
  13. tear — to rip
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. object — an aim
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — a thing
  18. game — a match
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. object — to protest

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