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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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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 · calf · pit · tear · roll · straw · wake · plane

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  3. tear — to rip
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. plane — a tool
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. roll — a list
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. roll — a cake
  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