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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: perch · safe · band · date · kick · calf · toast · hand

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — bread
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hand — help
  7. band — a ring
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. perch — the fish
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. kick — in football
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — in cards

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