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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. kid — child
  9. firm — a company
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. firm — decided
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. firm — steady
  14. bound — certain
  15. toast — bread
  16. last — to go on
  17. bound — obliged
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bound — tied together

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