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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 120 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: safe · calf · kid · stem · ball · ruler · content · tube

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. ball — a dance
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — happy
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. content — the amount
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stem — to come from
  24. calf — a young animal

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