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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · cue · cold · ball · fan · cap · spring · calf

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. safe — a strongbox

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