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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: calf · object · squash · safe · date · trunk · key · kid

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kid — to tease
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. object — an aim
  10. key — the most important part
  11. squash — the sport
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. object — a thing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. squash — to crush

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