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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spring — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — help
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. spring — a coil
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rush — hurry
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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