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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: fork · hand · calf · bear · safe · row · trunk · swing

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. row — a line
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bear — the animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. fork — in a road
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. hand — help
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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