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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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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 · bat · calf · fine · spring · stock · wind · kick

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bat — the animal
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spring — of water
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stock — goods
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spring — the season
  19. stock — shares
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — all right

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