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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: band · squash · calf · safe · cue · present · stem · content

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a music group
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. squash — to crush
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stem — to come from
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — the sport
  12. band — a ring
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. present — there
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cue — a hint
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — a signal

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