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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: craft · bat · calf · roll · bark · safe · leaves · race

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. race — a contest
  5. bark — to shout
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bat — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. race — humankind
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. race — the arms race
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. roll — a cake
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. roll — a list
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. craft — boats
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. leaves — to go away

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