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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: tear · deal · court · drill · safe · calf · ground · bound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. deal — to handle
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bound — tied together
  9. tear — from crying
  10. court — of a king
  11. ground — a position
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — of law
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ground — the earth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ground — crushed
  23. drill — army training
  24. deal — a big deal

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