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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 116 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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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: straw · wind · kick · prune · pass · bound · calf · safe

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — in football
  5. wind — moving air
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wind — moving air
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bound — obliged
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bound — certain
  24. safe — a strongbox

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