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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. stand — to bear
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. net — in sport
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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