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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — crushed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. land — a country
  7. ball — a dance
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — in football
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — a position
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ball — a great time
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. date — the fruit

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