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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
468
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 · content · clip · wax · object · net · cell · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. object — to protest
  9. net — in sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wax — to grow
  14. clip — a video
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. content — happy
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — a phone
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — an aim
  24. net — after costs

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