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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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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: safe · cell · race · calf · fall · clip · bear · bulb

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. race — the arms race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — a video
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cell — in biology
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. race — a contest
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. bulb — for light
  20. clip — for paper
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. race — humankind
  24. bear — the animal

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