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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · hand · ball · safe · season · mark · leaves · lean

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — in sport
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — thin
  10. ball — a dance
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — help
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mark — a grade
  17. season — of the year
  18. lean — to bend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a trace

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