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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. present — a gift
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — music
  11. tear — to rip
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — high quality
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. fine — all right
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — a penalty

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