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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: rash · calf · bark · land · safe · roll · club · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. club — for dancing
  3. land — a country
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — for golf
  6. roll — a cake
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. land — ground
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. roll — a list
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — to come down
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. club — a group
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — an injury

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