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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.

Make a worksheet

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: safe · toast · row · calf · prune · pitcher · roll · wake

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. roll — a cake
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. row — to paddle
  12. prune — to trim
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. row — a line
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — out of danger

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