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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 116 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: safe · pit · fall · deal · squash · race · patient · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fall — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. race — humankind
  13. fall — to drop
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — a contest
  20. pit — in a race
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — the arms race
  24. deal — an agreement

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