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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: safe · spring · cell · bass · foot · cabinet · degree · calf

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. degree — an amount
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bass — the fish
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — low music
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. degree — from a university
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. safe — out of danger

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