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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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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: firm · safe · charge · calf · chest · kid · shower · mark

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kid — child
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. chest — a box
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mark — a trace
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. charge — electricity
  19. firm — a company
  20. kid — to tease
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. chest — of your body
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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