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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: mate · safe · straw · bay · scale · cap · field · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mate — a partner
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. field — farmland
  16. cap — a lid
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. scale — size or range
  19. field — for sport
  20. mate — to breed
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — in music
  23. field — a subject
  24. safe — a strongbox

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