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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · cabinet · last · calf · fine · safe · race · roll

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. race — the arms race
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. last — final
  10. race — humankind
  11. last — to go on
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. roll — a list
  21. last — finally
  22. race — a contest
  23. fine — all right
  24. calf — of the leg

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