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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — finally
  9. roll — a cake
  10. last — final
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. last — to go on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. roll — a list

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