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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. charge — in control
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bound — obliged
  14. charge — a price
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bound — certain
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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