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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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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: bay · kid · branch · court · safe · calf · stick · bulb

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. court — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. court — of law
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kid — child
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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