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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 · safe · lie · scale · clip · face · staff · race

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. race — the arms race
  5. clip — for paper
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — to confront
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — a contest
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. staff — a stick
  13. clip — to cut
  14. scale — in music
  15. clip — a video
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. face — to point toward
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. race — humankind
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. face — part of the head
  24. scale — size or range

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