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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: calf · bark · swing · spring · safe · cap · charge · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. swing — in golf
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spring — of water
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kid — child
  10. cap — a hat
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bark — to shout
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. swing — music
  19. spring — the season
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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