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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · calf · wound · kid · safe · plane · sharp · shower

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. shower — rain
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. field — a subject
  16. wound — an injury
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. field — for sport
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. sharp — clever
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. shower — to wash
  24. plane — an aircraft

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