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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: bank · safe · lie · fan · calf · bowl · content · wound

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. content — happy
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — the amount
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wound — an injury

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