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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: safe · arm · calf · content · present · rash · chest · wax

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. present — a gift
  7. rash — hasty
  8. content — happy
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chest — a box
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rash — a series
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wax — to grow
  19. content — the amount
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chest — of your body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. present — there

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