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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · content · calf · spell · safe · file · kick · root

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. content — the amount
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spell — a short time
  6. file — a tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. root — the cause
  10. spell — magic
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — letters
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. root — of a word
  17. file — a document
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. kick — in football
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kick — with a leg

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