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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · mark · firm · chair · safe · mine · nail · spell

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — a company
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — magic
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spell — letters
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spell — a short time
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. firm — decided
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mark — a trace

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