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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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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: bay · safe · spring · calf · cell · pass · kick · lean

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spring — of water
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pass — a permit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cell — a phone
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. spring — the season
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. kick — in football

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