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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: calf · temple · safe · field · stick · content · hand · object

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — farmland
  7. content — happy
  8. object — to protest
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. object — a thing
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. hand — in cards
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. hand — help
  20. object — an aim
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. content — the amount
  24. temple — a place of worship

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