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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. court — of law
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. court — of a king
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. spell — a short time
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. court — for sport
  24. spell — letters

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