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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: race · safe · deal · present · stand · can · calf · temple

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. present — the time now
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stand — to bear
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. can — a tin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — there
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. calf — a young animal

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