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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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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: cold · mine · mug · rock · wound · calf · current · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. current — electric
  6. rock — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mug — a cup
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mug — a face
  21. current — happening now
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — of water

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