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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. present — there
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mark — a grade
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — a gift
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — a trace
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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