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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
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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: present · kid · roll · wax · safe · calf · game · stand

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. present — there
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. present — the time now
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. wax — to grow
  12. present — a gift
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stand — to bear
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — child
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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