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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 120 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: calf · safe · snap · race · bore · drill · bark · wave

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bore — to tire
  4. race — humankind
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — the tool
  12. race — a contest
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. drill — army training
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bark — to shout
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bore — gave birth

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