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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: last · leaves · board · calf · nail · track · safe · court

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. track — a path
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — for sport
  9. last — final
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. court — of a king
  18. track — to keep track
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. board — a committee
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — to get on

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