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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.

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: safe · squash · snap · foot · capital · rush · calf · mine

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the sport
  5. capital — money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. squash — to crush
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. foot — a measure
  18. capital — a city
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. snap — to click

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