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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: mug · safe · ball · hand · pitcher · game · calf · face

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a match
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — in cards
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a dance
  14. face — to confront
  15. mug — a face
  16. face — part of the head
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mug — to rob

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