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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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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: stem · content · key · safe · prune · calf · chip · cell

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chip — for betting
  5. key — for a lock
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. content — the amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cell — in biology
  20. content — happy
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stem — to come from

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