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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: present · file · bound · safe · wake · cabinet · calf · spell

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — there
  6. bound — certain
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spell — magic
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — a gift
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — a short time
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bound — obliged
  19. file — a tool
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. file — a document
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. present — the time now

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