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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: kid · squash · cell · mark · safe · key · calf · wave

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. squash — to crush
  3. kid — child
  4. key — in music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. key — for a lock
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mark — a trace
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cell — in biology
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. key — the most important part
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wave — with your hand

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