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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: calf · lash · bat · cabinet · safe · kid · jam · game

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kid — to tease
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kid — child
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bat — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

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