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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 · kid · cabinet · safe · court · degree · suit · lean

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to bend
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — child
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. degree — an amount
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. court — of a king
  18. suit — to fit
  19. court — for sport
  20. degree — from a university
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lean — thin
  24. degree — temperature

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