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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 120 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 · hand · calf · bear · stock · cold · spring · suit

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cold — an illness
  13. spring — the season
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. suit — to fit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stock — shares

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