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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 124 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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. roll — a cake
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — finally
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. wind — moving air
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. branch — a division
  19. last — final
  20. roll — a list
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — to bear
  23. ball — a great time
  24. calf — a young animal

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