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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: fine · wound · calf · kid · club · press · safe · rest

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. club — for golf
  3. kid — to tease
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — for dancing
  6. press — to push
  7. club — a group
  8. press — a publisher
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. fine — all right
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rest — what's left

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