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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: rush · object · foot · safe · pound · kick · calf · saw

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — a thing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. foot — the bottom

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