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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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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: fork · safe · cold · nail · fall · calf · wake · toast

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. toast — bread
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cold — an illness
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. nail — for a hammer

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