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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.

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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: roll · calf · safe · charge · mate · field · bat · wound

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mate — a friend
  4. roll — a list
  5. charge — in control
  6. bat — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. mate — to breed
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. field — for sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. field — a subject
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. charge — a price
  20. roll — a cake
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — farmland

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