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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: mug · snap · tear · safe · patient · wake · track · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a song
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to click
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — to keep track
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mug — a face
  17. tear — to rip
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. track — a path
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. tear — from crying

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