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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: board · calf · bound · sharp · mine · perch · safe · date

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. date — the fruit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bound — obliged
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bound — certain
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — a committee
  14. perch — the fish
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. board — to get on
  24. calf — a young animal

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