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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: fall · safe · bear · pound · row · calf · cell · fan

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — to paddle

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