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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — final
  13. tube — a container
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ball — a great time
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bound — certain
  20. swing — music
  21. last — finally
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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