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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · ground · fine · calf · present · band · safe · wake

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. present — a gift
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. march — the month
  10. fine — all right
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a music group
  13. present — the time now
  14. wake — a trail
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. ground — the earth
  20. present — there
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. band — a ring
  24. ground — a position

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