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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 116 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: cue · land · calf · saw · drill · safe · wake · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — a signal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — the tool
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. cue — for pool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — a hint
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — a practice

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