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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — a tool
  5. capital — money
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a city
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mine — for digging
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. safe — a strongbox

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