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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 · chest · game · stick · cold · fine · safe · firm

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. firm — a company
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. game — a match
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fine — all right
  9. chest — a box
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. game — wild animals
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — steady
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. firm — decided

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