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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: hand · nail · mate · calf · safe · fine · court · charge

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — a price
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fine — high quality
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. court — for sport
  10. fine — all right
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — in control
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. charge — electricity
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of law
  18. mate — to breed
  19. court — of a king
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — help

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