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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: hand · spring · calf · sharp · content · deal · firm · safe

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. content — the amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — in cards
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. content — happy
  11. firm — a company
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spring — of water
  15. firm — steady
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. firm — decided
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. deal — to handle

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